Annotation: This fact sheet for health managers in Head Start programs discusses the importance of good oral health habits for children and pregnant women. Tips are provided for preventing tooth decay, making healthy food and beverage choices, the role of fluoride in helping to prevent tooth decay, and how parents can help children learn to brush teeth properly. It is available in English and Spanish.

Annotation: This activity book provides information about keeping children’s teeth healthy. It includes information about brushing, flossing, avoiding sugary foods and drinks, eating fruits and vegetables daily, and visiting the dentist. Activities for children, such as coloring pages, dot-to-dots, and a song, are also included.

National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. n.d.. Dental hygienist liaison project. Itasca, IL: National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, 1 p.

Annotation: This handout provides information about the dental hygienist liaison (DHL) project created by the National Center for Early Childhood Health and Wellness, working in partnership with the American Dental Hygienists' Association. Under the DHL project, one dental hygienist from each state volunteers to help promote oral health for pregnant women and children enrolled in Head Start and children enrolled in child care. The handout explains the rationale for and purpose of the project and discusses the role of the DHL. Information on how to contact the DHL in each state is included.

University of Maryland School of Public Health's Horowitz Center for Health Literacy. 2019. Brushing toddlers' teeth. College Park, MD: University of Maryland School of Public Health Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, 1 video (2:18 minutes).

Annotation: This video focuses on the importance of brushing toddlers' teeth. The video shows a health professional demonstrating to a mother techniques for brushing toddlers' teeth. Different positions for brushing are demonstrated, and guidelines for how often to brush and how much fluoridated toothpaste to use are discussed. What to do if a child cries during brushing is also addressed.

Contact: University of Maryland School of Public Health, Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, Dean's Office, SPH Building, Room 2367, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, Telephone: (301) 405-2356 E-mail:HealthLiteracy@umd.eduWeb Site:http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu Available from the website.

Annotation: This video for parents explains why primary teeth are important for children. Tips for soothing infants who are teething, promoting healthy primary teeth, and taking infants and young children to the dentist are provided. The video demonstrates how to brush an infant’s or child’s teeth and the right amount of fluoride toothpaste. Also discussed are problems in the mouth that need immediate attention from a dentist. In addition, the video explains what kind of foods and drinks are best for infants’ and children’s oral health and overall health. The video is available in English and Spanish.

Annotation: This video focuses the importance of taking care of an infant’s or young child’s teeth. Topics include the reasons that it is important to take care of primary teeth and ways to prevent tooth decay in infants and young children, including brushing teeth with the right amount of fluoridated toothpaste and establishing good oral hygiene routines at an early age. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Annotation: This video for parents focuses on the importance of having a healthy mouth in infancy and in childhood. Topics include teaching children to value having a healthy mouth, how tooth decay can affect infants and children, how to recognize tooth decay, what causes tooth decay, and the importance of limiting the transmission of the bacteria that causes tooth decay from the mouths of parents to the mouths of infants and children. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Annotation: This bookmark for pregnant women provides information about oral health and oral health care during pregnancy and infancy. The bookmark offers tips on oral hygiene, nutrition, and dental visits during pregnancy on one side and tips on oral health during infancy on the other. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

University of Maryland School of Public Health, Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy. 2017. Healthy mouths for you and your baby. College Park, MD: University of Maryland School of Public Health, Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, 1 video (2 min.).

Annotation: This video provides information about what mothers can do to promote good oral health in their infant or young child and why it is important to do so. The video shows an oral health professional explaining to a new mother how to take care of an infant's mouth, demonstrating how to clean the infant’s mouth, and observing while the mother cleans the infant’s mouth. The video is available in English and in English with Spanish subtitles.

Contact: University of Maryland School of Public Health, Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, Dean's Office, SPH Building, Room 2367, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, Telephone: (301) 405-2356 E-mail:HealthLiteracy@umd.eduWeb Site:http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu Available from the website.

Annotation: This tip sheet for parents and other caregivers provides information about how to care for primary teeth in infants and children ages 6 months and older. The tip sheet discusses when to start brushing a child’s teeth, how to teach a child to brush his or her teeth, the proper way to brush a child’s teeth, how many times a day to brush a child’s teeth, and how often a child’s toothbrush should be replaced. The tip sheet is written in simple language and is available in English and Spanish.

Annotation: This brochure for parents provides information about how to keep infants’ and young children’s teeth healthy. Other topics include the importance of primary teeth; what fluoride varnish is, how it helps prevent tooth decay, how it is applied, whether it is safe, and what happens after it is applied; and how much toothpaste to use for infants and young children. The brochure is available in English and in Spanish.

Annotation: This document for parents provides information about how dental sealants can protect teeth from decay. Topics include what dental sealants are, which teeth should be sealed, how sealants are applied, whether decay can occur underneath sealants, how long sealants last, how sealants feel, and how Connecticut residents can get dental sealants. Other tips for preventing tooth decay are included. The document is available in Chinese, Creole, English, French, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Annotation: This infographic focuses on the oral health status of children and adolescents in South Dakota. Topics include untreated tooth decay in children ages 6–8 in South Dakota compared to the general U.S. population and ways to prevent tooth decay. Contents include the number of high school students who have missed school because of problems with their teeth or mouths, the per- centage of students in third grade who have not visited the dentist in the past 12 months, and the percentage of children who do not have dental sealants. Information about healthy behaviors and using products containing fluoride is also provided.

Annotation: This fact sheet provides information on what tooth decay is and how to prevent it. It discusses the tooth decay process and what prevents tooth decay. It also explains the importance of toothbrushing and the proper technique for brushing children’s teeth. Instructions for how much fluoride to use and how to choose a toothbrush are included. The document is available in English and Spanish.

Annotation: These forms are intended for use in implementing a school-based oral hygiene program to provide preventive oral health services (screenings, cleanings, fluoride varnish applications, dental sealant application, and education) for children from families with low incomes in Nevada. Contents include referral and consent forms and a privacy notice in English and Spanish.

Annotation: These satisfaction surveys are intended for use in implementing a school-based oral hygiene pro- gram that provides preventive oral health services (screenings, dental cleanings, fluoride varnish applications, dental sealant application, and oral health education) for children from families with low incomes in Nevada. Contents include surveys for students, parents, and teachers in English and Spanish.

Annotation: This kit is designed to help parents meet the challenges of parenting and support the healthy development of their infant or young child. Contents include resources about child development, health and safety, quality child care, and school readiness. Information about the importance of oral health in young children, preventing and treating tooth decay, oral hygiene during pregnancy and infancy, and finding a dentist is included.

Annotation: These resources provide information about the importance of oral health and oral health care for pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents. Topics include dental caries and periodontal disease and prevention strategies such as dental sealants, fluoride, injury prevention, nutrition, and tobacco cessation. Information about primary and permanent tooth eruption is also provided.

Annotation: This video for parents and other caregivers provides information about the importance of oral health in infants and young children. Topics include preventing dental caries in primary teeth; early examination, detection, and treatment; and education. The video shows an oral health professional performing a lap-to-lap examination, applying a fluoride-varnish treatment, and encouraging a mother to give her child milk and water rather than juice.

Maternal and Child Health Library

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.